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Tuesday, 28 February 2017

I am a big fan of the Arkham Horror Card Game, and when the print on demand pack Curse of the Rougarou came out, I wanted to try it. I have not tried any of the print on demand products before, so this article is a bit about what the pack is (no spoilers as you get no player card only encounter and scenario ones) and also about my thoughts on the product itself rather than an in depth look at the cards.

Terror Grips New Orleans!

"…The headline was sensationalist. Three killings in nine days was enough to spook a town, sure. But you doubt all of New Orleans is gripped by terror, or even knows about the killings. Still, something piqued your interest."
–Curse of the Rougarou

When one reporter's sensational news about a series of savage killings..........

Thursday, 23 February 2017

As a big fan of the Arkham Horror card game its always exciting to see the first few expansion products, to get a feel for where FFG are going with the game. The first expansion we got to see after the main game was the deluxe Dunwich Legacy pack, and that was a cracker! but now where to go from there.....

Well here... the first mythos pack in the Dunwich cycle. Do you need to own the Dunwich Legacy set to use it? no..... you can use it as the start to your campaign, or you can add to one you have already started, or play the pack as a one off adventure.

"Almost eight feet tall, and carrying a cheap
new valise from Osborn’s general store, this dark and goatish gargoyle
appeared one day in Arkham in quest of the dreaded volume kept under
lock and key at the college library—the hideous Necronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred in Olaus Wormius’ Latin version."
–H.P. Lovecraft, The Dunwich Horror

It begins with a book… Somewhere in the Miskatonic Museum, Olaus Wormius’s Latin translation of a book called the Necronomicon
lies hidden away, kept locked and secret so that those individuals who
shouldn't gain access to it do not. When recent events at the university
and the Clover Club lead you to believe that someone may now be
searching for this strange and ancient tome—someone who should not be
permitted to delve its secrets—you make your way to the Museum. The hour
is late, and the front door is locked. But you know you must recover
the book before anyone can access its arcane secrets for dark purposes....... lets take a look inside see what we get, and some looks at the cards, no spoilers for the encounter deck, just player cards!

There are so many options but my personal theme win in the range was Legendary Encounters Alien I loved the films, the game theme fit perfectly, so go over take a look, take a read, as today's game operates in pretty much the same way with some tweaks we will come to. So what could match Alien in theme at least? well Predators right!! The first Predator movie was amazing, and full of such good action and quotes.. are we going to see that reflected here?

Legendary Encounters: A Predator Deck Building Game is based on the first two movies of the Predator
series. Taking on the roles of characters from the films, players take
turns recruiting cards for their deck from a central selection in order
to improve their deck and defeat Predator cards that are added to the
central game board.

In more detail, within the setting for each film you can play as the humans or as the Predators. As the humans, you play the co-op version of the game as in Legendary Encounters: Alien,
recruiting, scanning and attacking the same way while trying to achieve
objectives. When you play as the Predators, the game is player vs.
player instead of co-op, with each player assuming the role of a
Predator hunting for the most honor (VPs).Legendary Encounters: A Predator Deck Building Game is a standalone game in the Legendary Encounters series that is fully compatible with Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game. Specifically, you can use the Predator deck in Alien or the Alien deck in Predator. Similarly, Predator is also compatible with the Marvel superheroes version of Legendary but cannot be fully integrated just due to the difference in hive decks and masterminds. Mixing in with Aliens..... that i like the sound of.. if you forget the awful AvP movies, and remember the Great PC game from the early 2000s

Thursday, 16 February 2017

Ahhh its time for another Chapter pack for A Game of Thrones the card game. Its always an exciting time, as I never look ahead to see whats in the pack, so its maximum fun at opening time. The other chapter packs have been excellent, will this one continue the tradition? As always you get 60 cards, 20 new one with 3 copies of each.

Davos could make out the
striped hulls of Salladhor Saan's ships beyond, but he knew he would
never reach them. A wall of red-hot steel, blazing wood, and swirling
green flame stretched before him. The mouth of the Blackwater Rush had
turned into the mouth of hell.–George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings

The War of the Five Kings has reached its
tipping point. Stannis Baratheon marches on King’s Landing by land and
by sea, sending his powerful navy up the Blackwater Rush to seal off any
escape. Tywin Lannister moves south with all speed, leaving the north
to House Stark and House Greyjoy, but his mighty armies will never
arrive before the city is besieged. In the end, the man who sits the
Iron Throne at the end of the battle may be determined by nothing more
than the ingenuity of Tyrion Lannister’s defenses.

With the Tyrion’s Chain Chapter Pack, the War of Five Kings cycle approaches its dramatic conclusion. Here, you’ll find plenty of new support for Summer and Winter decks,
inviting you to draw your strength from the warm zephyrs of summertime
or the howling gales of winter. As the final chapters of A Clash of Kings play
out in the card game, you’ll also find iconic characters entering the
game for the first time, including Qhorin Halfhand, Salladhor Saan,
Podrick Payne, and Ser Arys Oakheart. It’s time for you to rally behind
your King and enter one of the greatest battles in the game of thrones!

Tuesday, 14 February 2017

In the final part of our look at the currently released games in the Titan range we look at Running with the Bulls by Paul Peterson. We have already looked at the fun Hive Mind and the OK Menu Masters, so how will this one fair?

The Titan Series is a line of gateway games—casual, family-friendly tabletop games—being created by some of the best game designers (“Titans”) in the world. Each a legend within the gaming industry, these Titans are responsible for such wildly popular games as Magic: The Gathering, King of Tokyo, Shadowrun,MechWarrior, HeroClix, Quarriors!, Risk Legacy, and many more.

Now Calliope Games is harnessing the talents of the Titans to create games you can play with anyone, regardless of age or skill level. Not only will you be able to play Titan games with your regular gaming group, but your friends and family—who might rarely touch a die—will also love playing them!

Each of the games is intended for adults, but will be accessible by children as young as 8. Most games will support 2-6 players (sometimes up to 8), play in 60 minutes or less, and be packaged in boxes similar to our previously released games Tsuro (9"x9"x2") or Tsuro of the Seas (9.5"x9.5"x3").

Running with the Bulls™ is a game for 2-6 players played over three rounds called “days.” During each day, players will use action cards to guide their Runners to destinations at the bottom of the board—all while trying to avoid irate bulls! The player with the most points at the end of the game wins!

The art on the box has to me anyway a bit of a late 80s, early 90s style, I cant really place why... but it just gives me that impression, now that's not a bad thing, as I kind of like it, it feels nostalgic, and that's a good thing for a family game.

Now lets pop the box open, and take a look and see what we get inside!

Friday, 10 February 2017

The forces of the First order/Empire get a new large base ship in the latest wave of Xwing releases with the mighty Upsilon Class Shuttle. But... its a shuttle, a shuttle cant be that exciting right? well lets see!

"The First Order rose from the dark side."
–Lor San Tekka

The anger, fear, and aggression of the dark side find a new home in the Upsilon class Shuttle expansion pack.

Frequently used to transport dignitaries and high-ranking officers, the First Order's Upsilon-class
command shuttles were loaded with defensive systems to safeguard their
passengers. Advanced sensor suites in their upper wings allowed crews to
scan enemy communications and help pilots avoid hostile encounters.
Even in combat, these shuttles still afforded their passengers
reasonable measures of safety in the form of their protective durasteel
armor and powerful shield projectors. Their twin heavy laser cannons
also packed a considerable punch, but the ships' greatest defense
against enemy fighters was typically the detachment of TIE/fo fighters
that accompanied the shuttle.

It features one pre-painted, large-base miniature of the sleek,
predatory shuttle that the First Order typically used to escort its
high-ranking officers. Boasting both powerful weapons and shields, the
shuttle also comes with a full complement of fifteen upgrades. These
include advanced new technologies as well as the dark side warrior Kylo
Ren, who allows you to hinder your foes with his associated condition,
I’ll Show You the Dark Side.

Thursday, 9 February 2017

Continuing our look at Calliope Games Titan range after looking at Menu Masters, today we look at Hive Mind, from Richard Garfield. You may know him as the creator of Magic the Gathering, and King of Tokyo among others, so I'm expecting something pretty darned good!

The Titan Series is a line of gateway games—casual, family-friendly tabletop games—being created by some of the best game designers (“Titans”) in the world. Each a legend within the gaming industry, these Titans are responsible for such wildly popular games as Magic: The Gathering, King of Tokyo, Shadowrun,MechWarrior, HeroClix, Quarriors!, Risk Legacy, and many more.

Now Calliope Games is harnessing the talents of the Titans to create games you can play with anyone, regardless of age or skill level. Not only will you be able to play Titan games with your regular gaming group, but your friends and family—who might rarely touch a die—will also love playing them!

Each of the games is intended for adults, but will be accessible by children as young as 8. Most games will support 2-6 players (sometimes up to 8), play in 60 minutes or less, and be packaged in boxes similar to our previously released games Tsuro (9"x9"x2") or Tsuro of the Seas (9.5"x9.5"x3").

It keeps the theme, coming in a nice sized box that wont take up half your shelf! so is good for storage.
Up in a hive in that tree over yonder,
The Queen Bee has a decision to ponder.
Winter is coming, and the hive is congested
To decide who can stay, all bees will be tested!
The Queen shall ask questions, and then she will see
Which of her bees answer most identically.
Those who match answers, with thinking aligned
Will prove they can stay within the Hive Mind

In Hive Mind™, players are bees who take turns rolling the die, moving the Queen Bee along the garden track, and asking and answering questions to assess their compatibility with the hive.

Each bee is trying to prove they should stay in the hive by thinking in harmony with the other bees. They do this by answering questions the same way as their fellow bees. The more answers they have in common with other players, the more points they get! Bees with the lowest point totals move closer to the hive door. When one or more bees leave the hive, the game is over. The bees remaining in the hive win!

Wednesday, 8 February 2017

Continuing our look at the latest wave of Xwing ships we have Sabines TIE for the Rebels, yes its a Rebel TIE fighter!

"Yeah… about that, uh… we stole a TIE fighter."
–Ezra Bridger

There is no starfighter more closely associated with the Galactic
Empire than the TIE fighter. Designed by Sienar Fleet Systems, the TIE
fighter was cheap, mass-produced, and ubiquitous—a quick and agile
dogfighter deployed most often in overwhelming numbers. Squadrons of
TIEs would serve as reminders of Imperial might. Even solitary TIEs
could spread fear among those who heard the distinctive roar of their
twin ion engines racing overhead.
Accordingly, there's no small measure of irony in the fact that the
Rebellion will soon get to field its own TIE fighter in battle.

But this TIE fighter doesn't represent Imperial might. It was stolen and
modified. It was painted bright orange and yellow. It represents
individuality and defiance.

The stolen TIE fighter's locator beacon might have been dismantled a
bit later than it should have been, but it was eventually dismantled.
Then Sabine repainted the TIE, working her masterpiece in bright shades
of orange and yellow between the black and grey of its wings and their
solar collectors. Those, however, were not all the changes the Rebels
made.
They modified the ship enough that they were able to squeeze a couple
of passengers into the cockpit, alongside the pilot, and then—in a
dramatic turn of events—outfitted it with enough illicit EMP devices to
temporarily shut down nearly all of a Star Destroyer's systems from
inside its docking bay.

Tuesday, 7 February 2017

Calliope games are not a company I have really come across before, but they are trying a rather bold new endeavour with gaming, and they are calling it the Titan Series......

The Titan Series is a line of gateway games—casual, family-friendly tabletop games—being created by some of the best game designers (“Titans”) in the world. Each a legend within the gaming industry, these Titans are responsible for such wildly popular games as Magic: The Gathering, King of Tokyo, Shadowrun,MechWarrior, HeroClix, Quarriors!, Risk Legacy, and many more.

Now Calliope Games is harnessing the talents of the Titans to create games you can play with anyone, regardless of age or skill level. Not only will you be able to play Titan games with your regular gaming group, but your friends and family—who might rarely touch a die—will also love playing them!

Each of the games is intended for adults, but will be accessible by children as young as 8. Most games will support 2-6 players (sometimes up to 8), play in 60 minutes or less, and be packaged in boxes similar to our previously released games Tsuro (9"x9"x2") or Tsuro of the Seas (9.5"x9.5"x3").

Quite an impressive goal.... but will it work out? well I have had the chance to have a look at the first three offerings in the Titan range... starting with Menu Masters designed by Zach and Jordan Weisman.

The art is certainly "Family Friendly" but what about the game itself?

Calliope describe it as.....
It's a fine dining frenzy! You are a world-class chef, brimming with ideas for the greatest menus ever crafted — but the only way to become the Menu Master is to beat the other chefs to Market Street for the freshest, most delicious ingredients! You may choose to open a store to earn some money… or just grab your shopping basket and be the first in line at the market. It’s the only way to get the best selection! But beware of the other chefs as they drive up demand and increase prices! Earn your stars in this deliciously fun race to gourmet supremacy.
So there's theme anyway to get you involved! lets pop the box open, take a look and see how it plays....

Monday, 6 February 2017

Its that time again.... always an exciting time when new models come out for Xwing, so today we take a look through the Scum and villainy pack the Quadjumper.

"We can't outrun them!"
"We might in that quadjumper!"
–Finn and Rey

We begin our look at the Quadjumper Expansion Pack
with a caveat—when Finn and Rey discussed the possibility of stealing a
quadjumper to outrun a number of First Order TIE/fo fighters, it was
within a specific context, one in which the idea was presented as an
alternative to running across the sands of Niima Outpost on foot.

No, the quadjumper is not going to outrun a TIE/fo fighter in any
fair sort of race. It won't even outrun a TIE/fo fighter in a race
that's only just a little bit unfair. The TIE/fo fighter is a fast and
agile performance starfighter. The quadjumper is a spacetug. The TIE/fo
fighter was built for streaking across battlefields, even as it turned,
weaved, and rolled to avoid enemy fire. The quadjumper was built to
maneuver containers quickly through orbital transfer yards.
That said, the quadjumper is very good at what it does. It is
powerful and maneuverable, and modified quadjumpers are often put to use
as smuggling ships or exploration craft. At times, the typically
unarmed ship is even outfitted for battle, and this is the case with the
quadjumper that you will find in the Quadjumper Expansion Pack
for X-Wing.

Its full of new maneuvers and dirty tricks. In addition to its pre-painted
quadjumper miniature, the Quadjumper Expansion Pack allows you to
militarize this typically unarmed ship with four Scum pilots and eight
upgrades. These include new crew members, illicit technologies, and a
modification that grants extra versatility to your tractor beam tokens.
Finally, a unique elite pilot talent and associated condition help your
elite pilots pay back their debts against those who have done them
wrong.

Sunday, 5 February 2017

Sometimes I get to look at things that are a bit on the stranger side of traditional "Gaming" and this is certainly one of those moments. To us gamers it looks like a snazzy box with dice in them, but these are apparently "cubes" and they have a different purpose to our normal dice exposure....

so what does the manufacturer say about them and what are they?

imagine telling stories that are dynamic, interactive, fun and
randomly generated. Imagine never being stuck for an idea ever again.
Rory’s Story Cubes is the original set that started the StoryCube movement and inspired creativity and storytelling across the globe.
Rory’s Story Cubes is the pocket-sized creative story generator that encourages
creativity, develops social confidence, enhances language development
skills and creates connections and unique moments between people young
and old alike.
Housed in a compact magnetic box, StoryCubes are
perfect for telling stories wherever you go. Take them traveling, to
school, camping or even to the restaurant and tell a story while you
wait.

Features

Pocket sized creative story generator that encourages imagination and creativity.
Enhances language development and fosters co-operative play with others.
Roll the nine dice, look at the images and create fun, limitless stories with millions of combinations.
Magnetic snap lock case to keep your StoryCubes safe while on the go.
Great for bedtime stories, travelling activities and in the classroom.
For Ages 6+

Uses

Fun storytelling for family and friends, create magical moments with all generations, especially useful for the holidays.
Promoting literacy and language in the classroom – used and endorsed by educators across the globe.
Teaching Foreign Languages – endorsed by TEFL educators
Creative Writing aid – Used for improving creative writing skills and as a tool when hitting he dreaded writer’s block.
Background
story generator in role playing games – Create background stories and
character scenarios for your next role playing game.
Ice breaker – At a party or in a work meeting, break the ice by rolling the dice and create shared experiences.
Idea generation and problem solving –
Agile coaching –
Bedtime stories – Create unique stories and adventures with your little ones every night. Never run out of ideas.
Improves social connections – Encourages, empathy and self esteem through storytelling.

Box Contains

9 x 19 mm dice (each with 6 unique embossed images)
How to play guideline (Remember there are no rules)
Magnetic snap lock case, robust and ideal for carrying on the go.

Saturday, 4 February 2017

Today we have something of a rarity in the form of a guest article, and hopefully a regular feature in the future. It comes from Dave Cook, friend and fellow local gamer, so over to him......

After resisting the urge to buy into X-Wing for nearly 4 years I finally
succumbed in October last year and have subsequently invested heavily in
the game.

I instantly developed a love for everyone's favourite Correllian smuggler and began flying the Falcon a lot.

As I'm quite a competitive person by nature this eventually led to me
heading down to Dark Star Gaming in Plymouth to join in with their
X-Wing league on a Thursday night.

I have been trying out several ships to fly alongside the Falcon and eventually settled on the ARC-170 Gunship.
It's tough, packs a punch has a rear fire arc and a wealth of upgrade
options making it an ideal partner for the Correllian Freighter.

After a few games I ended up being undefeated with the list and decided
that it was maybe time to test the waters at a local tournament.

Our local games store Antics holds a monthly X-Wing event and I ended up
going to their January one. My buddies Sam and Matt also came along for
3 rounds of spaceship action. There were 8 players altogether.

Friday, 3 February 2017

As we carry on our Star Wars week we are looking at an expansion for Star Wars Imperial Assault from Fantasy Flight Games. Now we are looking at one of the figure packs. This model pack will replace the card token from the Jabbas Palace expansion, and add more to your game too. Today we are looking at the Alliance Rangers. They can appear to help you out in the campaign mode, and certainly will provide some solid troops for skirmish mode.

“Disguised as a cargo ship and
using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and
deactivate the shield generator.”–General Crix Madine, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

A successful military force needs
specialized soldiers of all stripes to support the main vanguard. It
needs shock troops to break the enemy lines and push an advantage, heavy
artillery to bombard the enemy position, and skirmishers to harry and
distract. The Rebel Alliance is no stranger to the realities of war, and
there are few warriors more specialized and deadly than the Alliance
Rangers.

Well known for accompanying Han Solo to
Endor as part of his elite strike team with a mission to deactivate the
shield generator, the Alliance Rangers are the consummate long-range
fighters. Now, with the Alliance Rangers Ally Pack for Imperial Assault,
you’ll find three carefully sculpted Alliance Ranger figures, new
Deployment cards and Command cards, and new missions for the campaign
and skirmish game, inviting you to wage guerrilla warfare in the Star Wars galaxy.

Thursday, 2 February 2017

The world of H.P Lovecraft, is am I'm sure you know, a setting I love!, and one that Fantasy Flight games have created many excellent games for, such as the light and fun Elder Sign or the game of saving the world in Eldritch Horror to the smaller cooperative creepy, and excellent app based board game Mansions of Madness, and the new INSERT ARKHAM LCG LINK as well. Now with all the newer games coming out, it does not mean the older titles in the Arkham Files are forgotten, as you can see with the latest expansion for Eldritch Horror - the Dreamlands. Of course you will need Eldritch Horror to play this, and if you haven't got it.. well you need to get it! its a great solo or multiplayer cooperative game.

“Send back earth's gods to
their haunts on unknown Kadath, and pray to all space that you may never
meet me in my thousand other forms. Farewell, Randolph Carter, and
beware; for I am Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos.”–H.P. Lovecraft, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce The Dreamlands, a newexpansion for Eldritch Horror!

It has been months since you saw the
sunset city in a dream—towering minarets and domes, crossed by shadow
and red light from the gently setting orb of fire that permanently rests
outside the city. Since then, you’ve crossed these borders every night,
searching for the city, hoping to set foot inside. You have seen
wonders beyond compare: the sacred cats of Ulthar and the turquoise and
tourmaline city of Celephaïs that rests beneath the gingko-covered
slopes of Mount Aran. You have all but abandoned your waking life,
eating less and less, spending more and more time asleep. But tonight is
different. There, on the silvery, blade-thin horizon between
wakefulness and sleep, the black ships from the moon have finally caught
up to you.

Descend into a world of sleep and splendor with The Dreamlands,the latest expansion for Eldritch Horror.
For the first time, you have the chance to walk upon the sweet-smelling
grass of the Enchanted Wood, travel into the Underworld, or sail off
the edge of the world and voyage to the moon—this expansion introduces
an entirely new side board, portraying the mystical, ethereal
Dreamlands. As the realm of dreams leaks into our waking world, you’ll
find eight new investigators that stand united against two insidious
Ancient Ones: Altach-Nacha the Dreamweaver and Hypnos, the Lord of
Sleep. With a massive array of new Spells, Conditions, Assets,
Adventures, Mythos cards, and encounters for every location, The Dreamlands promises adventures unmatched by anything in the waking world.

Wednesday, 1 February 2017

As we carry on our Star Wars week we are looking at an expansion for Star Wars Imperial Assault from Fantasy Flight Games. Now we are looking at one of the figure packs. This model pack will replace the card token from the Jabbas Palace expansion, and add more to your game too. Today we are looking at Captain Terro. He makes a "few" appearances in the campaign, so its going to be great being able to replace his token with a model, and he also doubles up as a generic Dewback rider.

The regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line.”–Grand Moff Tarkin, Star Wars: A New Hope

Imperial forces on Tatooine may not have
the same sway as Jabba’s gangsters, but they can still be dangerous and
violent—especially if their authority is not respected. Several
Stormtroopers have adopted the native dewback as a mount and organized a
cavalry division under the command of the vicious Captain Terro. A
Stormtrooper mounted on a powerful creature like the dewback is not to
be underestimated, and the Galactic Empire gains a new tool in its
arsenal with the Captain Terro Villain Pack.

The heroes may come into contact with
Captain Terro himself or just a Dewback Rider from his command, but
either one would be a dangerous opponent. The dewback mount gives these
warriors a prodigious amount of movement, and by striking from the
creature’s back with shock lances or flamethrowers, a single
Stormtrooper can cause a massive amount of carnage or split a hero party
in two. With a new three-card Agenda set that challenges the heroes to
stop a Stormtrooper reprisal against Anchorhead, a new skirmish upgrade,
and new Command cards for your skirmish games, this Villain Pack offers a powerful new weapon to every Imperial commander.